Obstacles
by unpeucretin
Summary: Post-Jungle. Can Helga and Arnold's relationship blossom under the pressure of growing up and the trials and tribulations that come with life? Or will the petals become damaged and cause the flower to wilt away altogether.
1. The Beeper Tower

**TW: Substance abuse (alcohol).**

* * *

It finally happened. The love of my life, the capture of my heart, finally loves me back. Well, he at least likes me-likes me back and that's good enough for me. I keep replaying our kiss in my head as if it were a movie. Of course it wasn't our _first_ kiss - as if I could go all those years without feeling his lips against my own. But, it was the first kiss that he initiated. How my heart flew! Although...all love has its obstacles.

After waking Arnold's parents all he wanted to do was spend the summer with them, and I understood that. He felt bad about not being about to see Gerald and the others and (oh be still my beating heart) _me_. Throughout the summer we saw each other every now and then and he tried to call as often as he could, such a sweet prince so caring and diligent that he would still consider the well-beings of his friends over the importance of reuniting with his long lost parents, how pure and kind. But, understandably, I didn't get to see as much of him as I would have liked. I won't lie and say I didn't feel a little lonely when Phoebe and Gerald were out on dates and Arnold was with his parents, because...it _was_ pretty lonely. Top that with Bob ordering me to do this and that around Big Bob's Beepers all summer long then it really wasn't great. Though it hasn't been great ever since we've had to move into the store.

But, alas, like an oasis in the desert, Arnold would always fill my heart with pure joy and my day would immediately go from seeming like a patch of rotten weeds into a beautiful garden as soon as I would remember that Arnold P. Shortman _finally_ likes me-likes me back. To hear his voice on the other end of the phone could instantaneously turn a bad day into a great one.

I really do love him. I really, really, _really_ do. And yet...I still act like a jerk! On the first day back to school, Arnold, the golden haired blessing of my life, wanted to hold my hand and at first my insides felt as though they had melted. But, with the school looming in the distance and the familiar voices of our friends nearing closer to me, what do I do? I push him away! I act as if the summer never even happened! Criminy, he must hate me. I spent the rest of the school day slyly managing to avoid him; no eye contact in class, I didn't once try and visit my locker for fear of him waiting there for me (although a part of my heart does love the idea of that), and at lunch I tripped Eugene and got lunchtime detention so that I wouldn't be able to eat with him. Very sly indeed. Come the end of the day I managed to run off claiming Bob needed me urgently - which in a way was true since he urgently needed someone to mop the floors while he sat around doing nothing.

I don't understand myself really. I've spent practically my entire life dedicated to this football headed boy, building shrines and filling volumes upon volumes of books with poetry about him, and as soon as I finally get his affections back I freak! Is something wrong with me? Maybe I'm just not meant for love. I mean, I spend all this time longing for it and now I can't handle it?! Helga G. Pataki who? I only know Coward L. Wimp, queen of the hypocrites. Honestly, you would think I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off him. _I_ would think I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off him! But as soon as we're in school something in me just flicks and I get this urge to just avoid him at all costs. Maybe I should talk to Doctor Bliss about it. There might actually be something psychologically wrong with me.

In the meantime, there's always some sort of work to be done. Beeper towers to build and and fax machines to shelve. Bob really needed to listen to everyone (and our finances) when they say that no one buys this outdated crap anymore. The most action we have had this week alone was a man coming in to buy one of those car air fresheners that we keep next to the cash register. $1.84. That's how much we made. No wonder Bob's been dipping into the savings here and there. As much as I can't stand the guy...I am worried, mostly for myself of course but, he's starting to lose hair and I don't think it's just because he's getting older. Plus Miriam is a reck; drunk all night, hungover all day. I've seen her steal twenties out of Bob's wallet and sneak off to the liquor store before. With her drinking habit and our complete lack of business I wouldn't be surprised if we were all homeless by Christmas.

I finished making the beeper tower - I had to stand on one of the fax machines to reach the top so at least that hunk of junk is useful for something - and, as if on cue, the phone rang and made me knock it over. What was even the point.

"OLGA! Get that will ya, I'm watching the game."

"It's Helga numbnuts." I muttered before reluctantly answering the phone, "Big Bob's Beepers, how can I help you?"

"I think you've helped me more than enough over the years, Helga." His voice alone is enough to make my heart race. It was Arnold, my beloved. "But, my Grandma's fax machine broke and she insists on getting a new one - apparently it's the only thing that will let her communicate with the people who live on the moon." I chuckled. Gertie always had been a character but she had never spilled the beans about my many secret escapades into the boarding house. "Is it too late to stop by?" He asked. _Technically_ we were closed. But for the sake of a sale I don't think Bob would mind, though the thought of seeing Arnold did make me nervous.

"Not at all, football head." Why did I call him that? God, what is wrong with me!

"Okay, bye." At least he didn't sound mad about it.

I went into Bob's office/room; Miriam was passed out on the sofa in the corner and Bob sat in his chair, surrounded by towers of boxes filled with our stuff, he was watching a football game on a TV mounted onto the wall.

"What?" He asked.

"People are gonna swing by soon to buy a fax machine."

"It's after hours."

"So?"

" _I_ don't work after hours."

"Fine. I'll deal with it. Sheesh." I take back what I said earlier. I hate the guy.

I slammed the office door shut and went back over to the beepers to try and reassemble the tower before Arnold got here. When he found out that we had to move into the beeper store because we couldn't afford to live at home anymore he became really concerned. I told him not to worry about it, it felt weird to have him pity me. I think he understood that though as he never really brought it up again, but over the summer he did come by and buy two beepers and a printer. If that schmuck doesn't think that I don't know that he never uses those beepers or that he already has a printer that works perfectly fine then he's an idiot. A caring idiot though.

Just as I put the final beeper on top of the tower Arnold walked through the door, accompanied by his grandma and his mom.

"Hey Helga." Oh if my heart were a bird it would fly higher than all the others for he alone made it beat like the rapid wings of a hummingbird with but a simple 'Hey'.

"Hi Arnold." I could see the coy smiles of his mom and grandma out of the corners of my eye and embarrassment anchored my heart back down from the skies. "Um, the fax machines are over there." I said to Gertie pointing to the shelves in the corner. She and Stella walked over to them and I heard Gertie mumble something about which one would be the best for avoiding interference from the government and aliens.

"Nice beeper tower." Arnold said nodding toward the tower

"Thanks, made it myself." As soon as I said that it caved in on itself, just like my pride. Boastfulness, the true enemy of any beeper tower.

"Nice beeper _pile_." Arnold said trying to hold back a laugh.

"Can it, hair boy." I gave him a light punch on the arm then went to pick up the beepers, screw the tower the shelf will do, and it's not like anyone was going to buy one of them anyway. Arnold, being the kind hearted blessing that he is, gave me a hand and I couldn't help but notice that he looked as if he had something on his mind. "What's eating at you, Arnoldo?" I asked. He was quiet for a moment and then turned to me.

"Were you avoiding me at school today, or am I just overthinking things?"

I wanted to lie. I wanted to say that he was overthinking. But this big headed green eyed punk had my heart wrapped around his little finger, and I just couldn't bring myself to lie to him.

"Kinda...it wasn't a you thing though. I just felt... _weird_." He stayed quiet for a bit and carried on stacking beepers.

This is it, my ultimate fear that up until a few months ago didn't even exist. I, Helga G. Pataki, was about to get dumped by the love of my life. I could feel a lump in my throat start to grow.

"That's okay, Helga."

"What?"

"I said it's okay. It's kind of... _weird_ for me too. Us being, you know..." That's right. We never really agreed to be girlfriend and boyfriend after the jungle, we just were. I wonder what that is though? After all this time, we still aren't together-together. Is it possible for me to even be dumped if we aren't together-together? This really is so much effort.

"Yeah." I muttered, more to break the weird atmosphere than as an actual response. I wonder if I will ever be able to really be with Arnold and not have it be awkward or weird. If I can't, then should I really be with him? What if we aren't meant to be? Oh cruel fates, how you tease me so.

"Not that I don't like it though...I mean, I guess... _weird_ can be good sometimes. Like Curly!" He sputtered out.

"Did you honestly just compare our relationship as being like Curly? The Curly?"

"No! Well, yeah. But, you know what I mean." He sighed in defeat which made me laugh.

We finished stacking the beepers just as Stella and Gertie came over asking for the Faxatron 4000, the most expensive of the fax machines. Arnold better not have anything to do with that. I went into the back and made sure to get them one that hadn't been dropped, because I'm nice like that.

"That'll be two-hundred and sixty-two and ninety-nine cents." I said at the register. Stella paid and Gertie said thank you before they headed on their way out of the store with Arnold.

"Oh wait, I forgot something. Go ahead, I'll catch up." Arnold said before turning back towards me, my heart started to race. He put $5 in the tips jar and said, "So, we are in a relationship then?"

"Huh?"

"Earlier, you said 'our relationship'."

"Oh. I, uhh, I guess I did."

"So we're in a relationship."

"I guess we are, football head." A big grin spread across his stupid face right before he leaned over the counter and kiss me on the cheek.

"See you tomorrow, Helga." He said.

"Bye." I managed to whisper before he left the store. As soon as he left the store my knees gave way and I hid under the counter. My cheek felt like it was burning right where his lips had been. I covered my mouth with my hand to hold back a scream as tears, of what I'm assuming is joy, fled down my face and dripped onto the floor. It was official. Arnold, the love of my life, and I, Helga G. Pataki, are in a relationship. I had never felt like this before. It felt like happiness but amplified. Like both flying and falling at the same time. I felt so...alive. Finally after years of longing and dreaming and hoping that the day, the day that Arnold would like me back, would come along actually has! I closed my eyes and let everything flow over me. Every memory, every spitball, every single moment. And then I thought of younger me, on her first day to preschool. I remembered the rain and the dog and the mud and the boy, with the little yellow raincoat, who shared his umbrella with me and complemented my bow. I thought about younger me and how proud she'd be and I started crying even more.

I composed myself as well as I could, but it seemed there was an immovable smile permanently slapped onto my face.

I was in a relationship with Arnold. The Arnold!

I locked the door and switched on the exterior shutters for the windows - all of which were covered in graffiti. I jotted today's earnings (or earning since there was only one) into Big Bob's Book of Receipts, before taking that and the money into the office for the safe.

"How'd it go then?" Asked Bob, eyes still glued to the TV which was now playing some kind of old detective show.

"Two-hundred and sixty-seven dollars and ninety-nine cents in total."

"Damn!" His eyes finally unlatched from the screen, "What'd the suckers buy?"

"A Faxatron Four-Thousand."

"And the other five dollars?" Of course Bob had the prices of everything memorised.

"A tip."

"Well, well, little lady. Looks like you'll be working the register more often if you keep making tips like that." I rolled my eyes and handed him the the money and the book. He handed me back a $100 and before I could say anything covered my mouth and signaled for me to leave the room. I did, confused but I did. I went across the store to the other office, it was smaller than Bob's and used mostly for the storage of electronics even older than the ones we tried to sell. But, somehow, Bob had managed to fit my bed and a few of my other things in here so that was nice. Oh who am I kidding...it's a dump! There's no room for anything and it stinks of dust. There's old junk everywhere and all of my stuff has to be kept in the storage units on the other side of the city! I threw myself onto my bed and some dust flew up into the air. I didn't even have a window to help. There definitely wasn't a smile on my face anymore. Bob opened the door, letting some of the dust out but then closed it again before getting close to me and telling me to "Shh."

"I didn't even say-"

"Shhhh!" It's official. He's lost his mind. He went over to one of the many old black and white TV's that sat around aimlessly in the room - they didn't even work anymore what was the point of keeping them - then he looked at me and said, "You can't tell a soul about what I'm about to show you. Not even your mother."

"Pfft, who's she gonna tell anyway? Jack and Daniels?"

"Helga." Damn. Must be serious.

"Alright, alright. Keep my trap shut. I got it." He turned back to the TV and turned one dial all the way clockwise and another all the way anticlockwise before stroking his hand underneath it and then pushing something. There was a click right before the screen of the TV popped open like a microwave door. Inside was a little money here and there, maybe just over a hundred bucks. He gesture 'gimme' with his hands and I gave him the $100 he gave me earlier. He put it in there and shut the door, the dials turned back on their own before there was another click.

"Just in case." He muttered.

"Why can't Miriam know about this, she could help save up too."

"No she can't...you _know_ she can't. Now go to bed Olga." That was the first time I think I had ever really seen Bob look so hurt behind the eyes, and as happy as I was that Arnold and I were now officially together-together, I could shake that look in Bob's eyes from my head.

* * *

 **So that's the start. What do ya think? Let me know. Also, I was taught never to use numbers in dialogue but idk it seems like so much effort to me and doesn't quite look right, what do you think?**

 **Thank ya.**


	2. Accidental Sandwiches

**TW: Substance abuse (alcohol).**

* * *

I woke up to find a note from Bob that said he had gone to pick up a shipment of something 'very exciting' from the docks, something that would 'revolutionise Big Bob's Beepers'. I didn't know you could ship miracles.

I was about to leave, thinking nothing of it, until I saw the absolute _mess_ that was my mother stumbling out of the staff restroom. She had a little vomit in her hair and her eyes were practically pure red. I couldn't let her work, not because I cared about her well being or anything but because I knew we just wouldn't get any business whatsoever with her behind the register. I sent her back to her sofa where she passed out almost immediately. Bob hadn't even bothered to deflate his inflatable mattress before he'd left and so by the time I had put that away, hid as many of the bottles of alcohol that I could see, and cleaned up the restroom I was already late for school. So I decided that I may as well wait until Bob gets back. I'd rather be extra late and have earned a little cash than be a little late and earned nothing.

Only two guys came in. One asked the to use the bathroom and I told him he had to buy something to use it first - he bought a car air freshener. The other was some old man who needed to buy a printer so he could print some posters. I asked him if he had lost his cat or something. He said he had lost his lost cat posters and wanted to make some lost lost cat posters to see if anyone had found them. I made $46.84 all together. Not too shabby. Bob got back at around ten.

"What are you still doing here? Don't you have that, uhh…"

"School?"

"Yeah, that place. You still go there or what?"

"Yes Bob, Miriam was just too _busy_ to take care of things. But, hey, come look at this. It's something magical." Bob came behind the counter to see what I was going on about and I popped open the draw of the cash register. "Look. There's money...in the cash register. Ain't every day you see that huh Big B." He smacked me upside the head before taking out $10.

"Go pay the bills for the TV, then get to school." He eyed the door to my room and gave me the $10. I went and opened the old TV - first dial clockwise, second dial anticlockwise, hand under the TV and push the button - and put the $10 with the others. Then I got changed out of my oversized Big Bob's Beepers polo, that was clearly for a full grown adult but Bob was certain that I'd grow into it, and got into my usual pink get up - bow and all - before heading off to school.

By the time I got there it was already eleven and I was sent straight to Principal Wartz's office for being so late.

"First you intentionally trip another student and now you stroll in having missed practically half the day! This behaviour is completely unacceptable Ms. Pataki." He said from behind his desk.

"Yes it is, Mr Wartz."

"Right...well, I'm glad we agree. Now, for this, and considering the incident yesterday as well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you after school detention Helga. But, perhaps it would do you good to have detention with Doctor Bliss to discuss your behavioural issues, since they seem to be a recurring issue."

"Oh no, please not Doctor Bliss."

"Now, now, no protesting! Detention, today, after school with Doctor Bliss. That's final. Now go to class and try to behave!" As I left his office and made my way down the hall I couldn't help but start to laugh.

"The sucker! I was gonna go see Bliss today anyway." I reached the outside of my class and opened the door.

"And now it's time for Science, Physics to be precise." Said Mr Simmons. And just like that, I shut the door again. From behind it I heard the class erupt into laughter. There are few things that I hate on this earth - scratch that, in this _universe_ \- that I hate more than _Physics_. It's evil in its truest form.

Mr Simmons opened the door and said, "Hello Helga, come on in. You haven't missed much, this morning we switched English and Physics over - the class were persistent on it."

"Geez, couldn't let me miss Physics could ya." I muttered as I made my way to my desk.

"And miss out on watching you suffer? Wouldn't dream of it." Said Rhonda from the otherside of the classroom. I sulked into my chair and pulled my physics book out of my desk so I could at least _look_ like I knew what I was doing.

A little while went by until a tiny piece of paper dropped onto my desk from the desk beside mine. It was Phoebe.

' _Arnold was wondering where you were. He seemed pretty excited to see you this morning and was disappointed when you didn't show. Did something happen?'_

As much of a nerd Phoebe is she'll still pass up Physics over gossip any day. Rhonda's influence.

' _Last night we kinda maybe confirmed that we're in a relationship now.'_

I flicked my note over to her desk and she caught it just before it slipped off of the other side. I looked over at her, she had a big stupid grin on her face just like Arnold did last night. I couldn't help but smile too. It was pretty amazing. A part of me still didn't quite think that any of it was real and that this was all just some dream that I'll wake up from any minute now. But, I haven't woken up yet so I may as well try to enjoy it while it lasts.

The lessons seemed to drag on for what felt like a lifetime and at the end homework was given out on the things I didn't understand in Physics and the stuff I missed from English this morning, great. At least it was lunch now. Arnold and Gerald had been dragged to the canteen by Harold, Sid, and Stinky so that they could see Harold shoot milk into the air and catch it all in his mouth again - a trick I'm certain definitely won't result in Harold showing up to class after lunch covered in milk. And as much as I would enjoy being able to spend some time with Arnold, something about being near him in school still made me feel really... _weird_. So, for the time being, sitting outside with Phoebe on our own wasn't that bad.

"So what happened? Tell me _everything_." Said Phoebe opening her lunchbox, she handed me a sandwich and a juice carton before taking out another sandwich and carton for herself. "What? I made an extra one on accident."

"Sure you did Phoebs, thanks for the accident."

"You're welcome, now spill." I then told her every detail about last night, except of course about the secret stash of cash in the TV. She told me she was really happy for me and then started talking about her own advancements in her relationship with Gerald. I did try to listen, but as soon as I took my first bite of the sandwich I became much more conscious of how hungry I really was. I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast _yesterday_. How didn't I ever even feel hungry? Oh, right. Because I was too busy avoiding Arnold and building beeper towers.

"And then he kissed me! On the lips!" Said Phoebe.

"Way to go, Phoebe!" We cheers our sandwiches and laughed.

"So, why were you so late today?" She asked.

"I had to cover the register while Bob was out."

"And he was fine for you to miss out on school? To detriment your education?!"

"In his defence, I probably wouldn't of even left to go to school if he hadn't told me to."

"Helga, you know, my parents would be more than happy to take you in if you ever needed an actual _home_ to stay in."

I thought about taking that offer, and it wasn't the first time Phoebe had suggested it. Arnold had even suggested that I go stay at the boarding house with him at one point. The idea of having to spend another night sleeping in that dusty room made the offer even more tempting. But, the thought of leaving Bob on his own to deal with everything, even after everything he has put me through, made me feel guilty. Plus, I promised Olga I would look after them while she was away on her latest volunteering project.

"Thanks Pheebs, but I'm okay. Really."

"Well...alright then. Can you at least come over for dinner after school? My mom is making lasagna."

"As much as I would love to, I have detention after school."

"Ah that sucks. Unless you want to do _Operation Break Out_?" I laughed as memories of the multiple times Phoebe had helped me sneak out of detention flashed before my eyes.

"Nah. I got Bliss so, yeah."

"Oh, well that's good then."

The bell rang and we made our way back to class, and just like I predicted Harold was covered in milk. Arnold smiled at me as I walked past him to my seat, I smiled back uneasily. Was it weird that it almost felt wrong to smile at him? He's the boy I love, a vessel of light in my darkened world. The boy who liked me back. The boy who I was dating. My... _boyfriend_. And yet it felt weird and somewhat _wrong_ to smile at him. I don't think I have ever looked more forward to a meeting with Doctor Bliss. Something _has_ to be wrong with me.

The hours went by fairly quickly and nothing particularly exciting happened, except I got partnered with Curly for a History project - not that I would particularly call that 'exciting' but more so horrifyingly painful. Before I knew it, it was the end of the day and after saying a quick, and very awkward, goodbye to Arnold I made my way to Doctor Bliss' office. I knocked and then opened the door.

"Doctor Bliss?"

"Ah, Helga. It's been a while hasn't it. How was your summer? I heard about your adventures in San Lorenzo."

"Did ya now? Ha ha, yeah. So _that_ happened." I said as I took a seat on her familiar couch.

"So, you and Arnold. You must be happy."

"I guess so."

"You guess?"

"Well…" It felt strange to talk about this in the open, my confusing feelings had mostly been kept locked away in my heart or scrawled against pages in my diary that I would then rip out and throw away. "I don't know. It's weird."

"Weird how?"

"Well, Doc, it goes like this. I've... _liked_ this football headed freak since preschool and now that I'm finally dating him…" I definitely wasn't used to saying that out loud. "It's just weird. Part of me still wants to shoot spitballs at his stupid head."

"I see. Well it's normal for new relationships to seem a little strange at first. With time you'll get used to it."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Is that why you tripped Eugene yesterday? To help with releasing all of these strange feelings?"

"Nah, that was a tactical tripping. I trip Eugene, I get lunchtime detention, I don't have to sit with Arnoldo."

"You didn't want to sit with Arnold at lunch?"

"Nope. I was also relieved I didn't have to sit with him at lunch today. That's weird, isn't it?"

"Well, like I said, Helga, new relationships can take time to adjust to. What you're experiencing is completely normal. However, next time I'd rather you come and see me if you feel 'weird' rather than tripping your fellow students." I couldn't help but sigh out of relief. I wasn't a freak! "Is Arnold also the reason you were late into school today?" Doctor Bliss asked.

"Oh, uhh, no. I had a family emergency. My dad was gonna call but I guess he forgot." I lied.

"Well alright then. How is your family, Helga?" Thoughts of a stressed out Bob and a drunken Miriam crossed my mind, but for some reason I didn't want to tell Doctor Bliss about any of it. Especially about how we had to live in the beeper store now.

"Fine. We're better now, actually. Bob and I seem to spend more time together than before." Technically that wasn't a lie, though our bonding sessions were mostly over how much we _didn't_ sell.

"And your mother?"

"She's fine too." I don't think Bliss believed me for a second but she let the subject drop as we began talking about things like school and homework. We spent the next hour going over trivial things like that, occasionally letting in the odd bit of personal information here and there.

"Well Helga, I think you've served your time. You're free to leave 'detention'," She said, "But, I do think that it might to you some good to stop by more regularly, just like in Fourth Grade. How about every Tuesday after school and of course whenever else you feel the need to."

"Sounds good, Doc." I said as I made my way out of her office. I thought about how it might do me some good to tell her about what's going on at home - or at the store I should say - but then I thought about how much hassle it would be if they found out. I mean, what if they wanted to take me away? As much as I hated Bob and Miriam something tells me I would hate a care home more.

As I left the school I recognised a familiar football headed dweeb sitting on the stairs.

"Arnold? What are you still doing here." I sat down next to him and saw that he was already doing his English homework. What a nerd, I love him.

"Phoebe told me you had detention so I thought I would wait around until you got out."

"Why?"

"So I could walk you home."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because you're my girlfriend?" My heart started to beat so fast that I think I bust multiple blood vessels. He said it. He said the G word. He called me his _girlfriend._ I'm Arnold's _girlfriend_! Oh what did I do to deserve such a blessed gift? "Uhh, Helga?"

"Oh, right. Yeah, ha ha. Well...okay."

We walked a few blocks until I felt him take my hand into his. Part of me wanted to instantly push him away again but then I remembered what Doctor Bliss said about how it takes time to adjust. Well, I suppose there's no time like the present. I laced my fingers with his as I held his hand back. My face felt like it was on fire and I glanced over at Arnold to see if he was blushing too. He wasn't, not one bit. But he did have this big dopey smile on his face which made me smile too.

We walked like this for a while and it was really nice, until I heard the familiar laughs of Stinky and Sid. I dropped Arnold's hand immediately and looked over at them. They were just playing ball in the park, I don't think they had even seen us.

"Helga? Is something wrong?" He looked so hurt. Oh, what had I done. My dear sweet beloved, I'm so sorry.

"Hey Arnold!" Stinky called from across the street. "Come play ball!" My heart felt like it was in my throat and a cold sweat started to form on my brow. I was breathing fast, faster than normal.

"Helga?" Arnold went to reach out to me but I stepped back causing that sad look to fall upon his face once more.

"I, uhh, I have to go. I just remembered, Bob needs me to, umm, clean out the stockroom. Yeah. Sorry. Bye." And with that swift, almost Shakespearean, excuse I ran away. And I kept running. I ran and ran until my lungs burned and my throat was dry. I ran until I got back to the beeper store where my legs eventually gave in on themselves and I collapsed.

"You training for a marathon or something Olga?"

"It's...Helga...Dad…"

"Criminy." He sighed before going to the back to get some water from the mini fridge we used as our only fridge. He threw the bottle at me and I downed every last drop of it. I stayed on the floor for a while, just to get my breath back. Until I saw it, the thing Bob had mentioned in his note. The thing that was going to 'revolutionise Big Bob's Beepers'.

"Light bulbs?"

"Light bulbs, batteries, cables. All things that people will always need! That little stand of light bulbs and this stand of batteries by the counter are going to make us so much dough! People will see them and think 'oh yeah, I needed one of those' and just pick it up as they look around! It's ingenious!"

"It would be, if people even came in to look around." I muttered.

"What was that girly?"

"Nothing, Bob. I'll be in my room."

"Fine, but I want you working the register in half an hour little lady! I haven't had a damn break all day."

"You haven't even worked the whole dad." I mumbled as I got into my room. "I did morning shift."

I got changed out of my clothes and put on my oversized work polo and some jeans. I sat on my bed, trying not to cough from the dust, and thought that I really needed to find a way to tidy this place up if I was really going to have to stay in here for good. Seems like it if Bob's ingenious idea was light bulbs. I thought back to what had happened on the way home and looked over to the landline phone that I kept on top of a stack of old TV's next to my bed. I thought about calling him. Arnold. But then Bob started calling for me from the main part of the store. I guess by thirty minutes he meant three. I suppose Arnold would have to wait until after hours. But who am I kidding? He's always on my mind.

* * *

 **Thank you for the lovely reviews on the last chapter (especially _HumanDictionary_ , you made me laugh) and for the favourites and follows! I'm glad y'all are enjoying it. Hoping to have a really good Shortaki chapter next. Stay tuned!**


End file.
